7 Tips To Rocking A Wig As A Protective Style

Wearing  wigs  as a protective style is a really great idea for women who love the versatility of hair weaves*, but still want to be able to care for their own hair. You can take it off at night,

wash and moisturize your hair, and put it back on.

Simple, right? Well not so much. Sometimes wigs* can be hard to manage because you’re unsure of how to not make them look so wiggy; or you don’t know what style will keep your hair protected underneath.

Fortunately, there are solutions and tips to help you with everything you need to make your wig* look realistic, make it more versatile, and keep your hair protected. Below are 7 Tips To Rocking A Wig As A Protective Style.

Moisturize and Seal

No matter what style you’re wearing, moisturizing and sealing your hair before you go into a protective style is always required. Sweating, wearing fabric on your head that soaks up moisture, and not being able to moisturize your hair because you can’t properly handle it are all problems you might face during a protective style.

With wigs*, you can take it off and put it on as you please so most of these problems are avoidable. To keep your hair super hydrated, moisturize and seal before you put it on and continue to touch up your hair every day. Every week, make sure to wash and co-wash to avoid product build up, matting, and clogged scalp pores.

Braid Your Hair First 

Some women like to put on a stretchy cap and call it day. While this is the quickest and most convenient way to prep your hair for a wig, it isn’t always the healthiest. For best results, simply braid or flat twist your hair back.

It doesn’t have to be anything intricate or time consuming, either! Two flat twists or four cornrows going straight back are the easiest to pull off. For curly or kinky*-curly wigs with more volume, you don’t have to be too worried about how neat or big the braids/twists are as long as they’re sturdy.

For straight hair, however, you might want to braid smaller and neater to avoid making your wig* look unrealistic and bulky.

Pluck The Hairline Or The Part

The hairline and part of a brand new wig are usually fuller than the hairline and part that we naturally have. In order to make the wig fit the frame of our face and appear realistic, we  pluck or pull hair strands until it looks like our hair.

For an example, lets say you want to wear a straight, middle part style. The first thing you’d do is part your real hair and braid the rest of your hair back so you can see the part clearly. Then, you’d observe and compare your part to the wig part.  Notice how it is most likely a lot fuller than it should be.

Take the wig, make a clean and clear part down the middle, and then begin plucking until it matches your natural part. During the process, place the wig on your head just to see how the part will look while on your head.  Do a similar process when dealing with the hairline of a wig or frontal*.

Fasten The Wig!

“Will it fall off?” is a common question most women ask before buying a wig. The short answer? No. The long answer? It can, but it won’t if you fasten and secure it to your head.

You could sew a unit down around the lace, silk, or wig cap*; you can glue around the hairline with wig glue, or you can attach a band or drawstring inside the wig and place it over your head when you install the wig.

Pick the option that will ultimately be healthier for your hair and allow you to do versatile styles. In my opinion, a good sew down is the easiest and healthiest way to secure a wig.

Make Your Own Wig 

I’m not even going to lie, units can be pricey. The worst thing is finding out a really cute wig costs hundreds of dollars. The cost effective solution to this? Make your own!

Grab a wig head, pins, needle and thread, a glue gun, wig cap*, and some of your favorite real like doing a sew in or quick weave*.

Grab all the materials you need and search YouTube for some really detailed tutorials on how to make inexpensive, but super cute wigs*.

Wash and Moisturize

Simply put, you need to treat your wigs* like your real hair. You use heat, products, and style them as if it were your real hair so you need to wash and moisturize it, too!

If it is real hair–or even a synthetic blend–it will most likely dry out and tangle if you do not properly take care of it. Some companies actually recommend a gentle wash and even include washing instructions for the unit!

If you made it yourself or your wig didn’t come with directions, start out with a simple wash; lukewarm water, gentle shampoo, silicone-free conditioner, and let it air dry on a wig head or rack.

Customize and Style 

The best part of wearing a wig is getting to do all types of versatile styles and not have to worry about damaging your own hair. This is where you can have fun with different dyes, styles, and cuts.

If you’re wearing synthetic hair, don’t worry! It can still be very versatile. For curls, you can cover your wig in flexi and perm rods* and dip it in hot water. For straight hair, blow drying the curls out of your hair on low heat will do the trick.

If you want to skip all the extra steps, get a synthetic blend or heat-resistant synthetic hair that can take heat up to 350 degrees. Then, you’ll be able to straighten and curl it without all the extra hassle.